Affective reactions and patient-therapist interactions among more differentiated and less differentiated patients early in therapy

Cognitive Style and Interpersonal Behavior: A Review with Implications for Human Relations Training

We can increase the effectiveness of human relations training (HRT) by recog nizing the differential effectiveness of various kinds of training with different "types" of participants. This article helps to explain why one kind of HRT may be effective for some. people yet unproductive for others. The individual difference variable explored here is the cognitive style knowm as field-dependence-indepen dence (FDI). The literature on FDI is reviewed for two purposes: (1) to under stand interpersonal behavior in the HRT setting better and (2) to hypothesize the relationship s that might make for successful or unsuccessful matches between participants of varying cognitive styles and HRT programs of varying degrees of structure. FDI has been found to be a crucial differentiating variable in determining the effectiveness of matching strategies in the fields of education and psychotherapy. Two questions are (1) Are participant satisfaction and learning influenced by cognitive style? (2) What behaviors or interpersonal styles might we expect from persons of varying cognitive styles?

Zur empirischen Unterscheidung von Scham und Schuld

Zusammenfassung: Aus unterschiedlichen theoretischen Perspektiven ist die Bedeutung der Emotionen Scham und Schuld für die Entstehung psychischer Störungen kontrovers diskutiert worden. Bislang wurden die unterstellten Zusammenhänge empirisch noch nicht zufrieden stellend untersucht, da derzeit wenige gut evaluierte Erhebungsinstrumente zur Erfassung und Differenzierung von Scham und Schuld vorliegen. Aufgrund dieses Mangels soll in der vorliegenden Arbeit die deutsche Version des “Test of Self-Conscious Affects” (TOSCA) vorgestellt und hinsichtlich der Gütekriterien evaluiert werden. Der TOSCA erfasst typische affektive, kognitive und verhaltensbezogene Aspekte, die mit einer Neigung, mit Schuld bzw. Scham zu reagieren, assoziiert sind. Darüber hinaus werden Stolz sowie emotionsrelevante Attributionsmuster erfasst. Ergebnisse aus Studien mit einer klinischen Stichprobe stationärer psychiatrischer Patienten (N = 127) und einer nicht-klinischen studentischen Stichprobe (N = 194) weisen auf hohe interne Konsistenzen und Retest-Reliabilitäten der Subskalen hin. Die empirische Differenzierbarkeit beider Emotionen bestätigt sich durch das Muster der Skaleninterkorrelation; Hinweise auf die klinische Bedeutung von Scham gegenüber Schuld ergeben sich aus den Zusammenhängen mit störungsrelevanten Persönlichkeitseigenschaften.

Field dependence and blood cholesterol: an expansion

In a pilot study of 65 newly admitted psychiatric patients the first author evaluated the relationship between cholesterol, uric acid, and field dependence. The results suggested that high uric acid and low cholesterol individuals were more field independent whereas low uric acid and high cholesterol individuals were more field dependent. However, the differences were influenced mostly by the values of cholesterol and little by the uric acid. We have now expanded the sample to 229 consecutive admissions excepting only in-patients that were alcoholics or taking medication that has effects on any of the dependent variables. Included were age, ponderal index (a ratio of height and weight), and sex. For the whole group, field dependence correlated highly with age and cholesterol but less with blood uric acid. Dividing the sample by sex the situation changed. For males field dependence did not correlate with any of the other variables. However, for the females field dependence showed a positive correlation with cholesterol and age and with cholesterol even after correcting for age. Diagnoses did not correlate with any other variables except field dependence as an analysis of variance showed an incrase of field dependence when the patients were divided into three groups: (1) schizophrenics, (2) miscellaneous (including personality disorders), and (3) affective disorders. Again, these results demonstrated no relationship of field dependence with blood uric acid.

Cognitive controls and person perception

The Embedded-figures Test (EFT) and the Rod-and-frame Test (RFT) were used as measures of the field-dependence-field-independence cognitive control dimension in a test of the hypothesis that field-independence would be associated with greater accuracy in the discrimination of affective expression and implied meanings. The hypothesis was supported by significant correlations between the cognitive control measures and accuracy scores on Feldstein's Affect Judgment Test and Sundberg's Test of Implied Meaning. Discussion focused on the role of cognitive controls in person perception and on the implications of the results for psychotherapy.

Field-dependent introvert and neuroticism: Eysenck and Witkin united

Based on derivations from the theories of Witkin and Eysenck, it was predicted that field-dependent introverts would have a higher incidence of neuroticism (above the 70th percentile, as measured by personality tests) than any other combination of the field-dependence and extraversion dimensions. The relationship was verified six times utilizing data from previously completed studies. Broad implications of the possibly genetically based results are discussed and potentially fruitful areas of investigation are noted.

Gender identity, stress and psychological differentiation in figure-drawing choice

The effects of stress and Ss' psychological differentiation on figure drawing choice are explored in a study in which 28 Ss viewed two anxiety-evoking and two neutral films. Stress was significantly ( p < .05) related to the drawing of opposite-sex first. The more psychologically differentiated group alone displayed a significant ( p < .05) shift, whereas the less differentiated group did not. The major determinant of figure drawn first is S's gender identity but it is influenced by situational and personality variables.